Marin County to Fine Residents, Businesses Who Violate COVID-19 Rules

Residents and businesses in Marin County can now be fined for failing to follow public health orders regarding COVID-19, the county Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday in a unanimous vote.

The ordinance makes noncompliance with county health codes, such as not wearing a mask in certain public spaces, a violation punishable by fines from $25 to $500.

Businesses face fines up to $10,000.

Penalties will be levied on a sliding scale based on “risks to public health, previous warnings, lack of good-faith efforts to comply, and increased revenue generated from noncompliance,” county officials said in a statement.

Assistant County Counsel Renee Brewer said that enforcement officers would warn violators first and, in some cases, grant a 72-hour “grace period” for potential citations.

“Information and education will continue to be the primary focus of this. It will just give us another tool in our tool box,” Brewer said at Tuesday’s meeting.

County staff from Environmental Health Services and the Sheriff’s Office will collaborate with city workers to enforce the law.

The new penalties come as Marin County was placed on the state’s COVID-19 watchlist and forced to pause reopening and shut down indoor businesses amid a surge in new cases of the coronavirus.

— Shannon Lin (@Linshannonlin)